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In Profile - Annual Report 2010

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Statutory Authority

28 U.S.C. §§ 601-612. Congress established the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in 1939 to provide administrative support to federal courts.

Supervision

The Director of the Administrative Office carries out statutory responsibilities and other duties under the supervision and direction of the principal policy-making body of the Judiciary, the Judicial Conference of the United States.

Responsibilities

All responsibility for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is vested in the Director, who is the chief administrative officer for the federal courts. Under his direction, the agency carries out the following functions:

  • Implements the policies of the Judicial Conference of the United States and supports its network of 24 committees (including advisory and special committees) by providing staff to plan meetings, develop agendas, prepare reports, and provide substantive analytical support to the development of issues, projects, and recommendations.
  • Supports about 2,000 judicial officers, including active and senior appellate and district court judges, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges.
  • Advises court administrators regarding procedural and administrative matters.
  • Provides program leadership and support for circuit executives, clerks of court, staff attorneys, probation and pretrial services officers, federal defenders, panel attorneys, circuit librarians, conference attorneys/circuit mediators, bankruptcy administrators, and other court employees.
  • Provides centralized core administrative functions such as payroll, personnel, and accounting services.
  • Administers the Judiciary's unique personnel systems and monitors its fair employment practices program.
  • Develops and executes the budget and provides guidance to courts for local budget execution.
  • Defines resource requirements through forecasts of caseloads, work-measurement analyses, assessment of program changes, and reviews of individual court requirements.
  • Provides legislative counsel and services to the Judiciary; acts as liaison with the legislative and executive branches.
  • Prepares manuals and a variety of other publications.
  • Collects and analyzes detailed statistics on the workload of the courts.
  • Monitors and reviews the performance of programs and use of resources.
  • Conducts education and training programs on administrative responsibilities.
  • Audits court financial operations and provides guidance on management oversight and stewardship issues.
  • Handles public affairs for the Judiciary, responding to numerous inquiries from Congress, the media, and the public.
  • Develops new ways for handling court business, and provides assistance to court employees to help them implement programs and improve operations.
  • Develops and supports automated systems and technologies used throughout the courts.
  • Coordinates with the General Services Administration the construction and management of the Judiciary's space and facilities.
  • Monitors the U.S. Marshals Service's implementation of the Judicial Facilities Security Program, including court security officers, and executes security policy for the Judiciary.

Director

  • James C. Duff

Serves as the chief executive of the Administrative Office, Secretary to the Judicial Conference and ex officio member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference, and the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center.

Deputy Director

  • Jill C. Sayenga

Chief advisor to the Director on day-to-day management, strategic, and tactical planning, and operational matters; ensures that activities of all agency elements are functioning in support of stated management goals.

Associate Director and General Counsel

  • William R. Burchill, Jr.
  • Robert K. Loesche, Deputy

Provides legal counsel and services to the Director and staff of the Administrative Office and to the Judicial Conference; responds to legal inquiries from judges and other court officials regarding court operations; represents agency in bid protests and other administrative litigation.

Judicial Conference Executive Secretariat

  • Laura C. Minor, Assistant Director
  • Wendy Jennis, Deputy
  • Jeffrey A. Hennemuth, Deputy

Coordinates the agency's performance of the staff functions required by the Judicial Conference and its committees; maintains the official records of the Judicial Conference; and responds to judges and other court personnel regarding Conference activities; and coordinates the advisory group process.

Legislative Affairs

  • Cordia A. Strom, Assistant Director
  • Daniel Cunningham, Deputy

Provides legislative counsel and services to the Judiciary; maintains liaison with the legislative branch; manages the coordination of matters affecting the Judiciary with the states, legal entities, and other organizations; develops and produces judicial impact statements.

Public Affairs

  • David A. Sellers, Assistant Director

Carries out public information, community outreach, and communications programs for the federal Judiciary; manages print and web publishing efforts for the Administrative Office.

Court Administration

  • Noel J. Augustyn, Assistant Director
  • Glen K. Palman, Deputy

Provides support to the courts for circuit executives, clerks of court, court librarians, staff attorneys, conference attorneys, court reporters, and interpreters, including the development of budgets, allocation of resources, public access, records management, and management of national programs.

Defender Services

  • Theodore J. Lidz, Assistant Director
  • Steven G. Asin, Deputy

Provides policy guidance and administrative, analytical, training, and evaluative services relating to the Criminal Justice Act and support to federal public and community defender organizations.

Facilities and Security

  • Ross Eisenman, Assistant Director
  • William J. Lehman, Deputy

Manages services provided to the courts in the areas of court security and space and facilities, and serves as the primary contact on real property administration matters with the General Services Administration and on court security matters with the U.S. Marshals Service.

Finance and Budget

  • George H. Schafer, Assistant Director
  • Michael N. Milby, Deputy

Manages the budget, accounting, and financial systems of the Judiciary; prepares financial analyses of Judiciary programs; manages the Judiciary's procurement function; manages relocation and travel services for the courts; and serves as the Judiciary's point of contact for Congress on budget matters.

Human Resources

  • Patricia J. Fitzgibbons, Assistant Director

Manages services provided to the courts in the areas of personnel, payroll, health and retirement benefits, workforce development, and employee dispute resolution.

Information Technology

  • Howard Grandier, Assistant Director
  • Joseph R. Peters, Jr., Deputy

Administers the information resources management program of the Judiciary; oversees the development, delivery/deployment, security, and management of all national IT systems.

Internal Services

  • Doreen G.B. Bydume, Assistant Director

Provides administrative support and services to the Administrative Office in areas such as budget, facilities, personnel, information technology and information management; and administers the Administrative Office's fair employment practices program.

Judges Programs

  • Peter G. McCabe, Assistant Director
  • R. Townsend Robinson, Deputy

Provides support and services for judges and chambers staff in program management and policy development, coordinates and supports federal rules of practice and procedure; gathers, analyzes, and reports statistical data.

Probation and Pretrial Services

  • John M. Hughes, Assistant Director
  • Matthew Rowland, Deputy

Determines the resource and program requirements of the probation and pretrial services system, and provides policy guidance, program evaluation services, management and technical assistance, and training to probation and pretrial services officers.